Breeding big cats for commercial purposes like cub petting, roadside zoos, or trophy hunting perpetuates cruelty and suffering, and reduces them to mere objects of profit and entertainment. It incentivizes irresponsible breeding practices, inbreeding, and failing to prioritize animal welfare. Once these big cats outgrow their cuteness or become less profitable, they are often discarded, sold to substandard facilities, or even killed. This practice ignores the value and dignity of these amazing animals and uses them for human entertainment.
The cruel canned hunting industry in South Africa isn’t just limited to lions – tigers are also victims. With a price tag of $35,000 to $40,000 per animal, these majestic creatures are highly sought after. Since tigers are not native to Africa, they are only present on the continent through illegal trafficking and captive breeding.
In mid-April, the owner of a canned hunting farm contacted Wild at Life e.V. regarding two tigers that he no longer wished to keep.
Fortunately, the number of visitors to canned hunting farms in South Africa has decreased in recent years due to the pandemic and border restrictions. As tigers are the largest cat species in the world, no one hunting them meant that the farm owner had to bear the high expenses of feeding them. As a result, he decided to give the tigers away.
These tigers which were once nameless and probably only identified by numbers or “that one” are now called Lily and Luna. They are two majestic, full-grown female tigers flourishing in the safe haven of Bela Bela sanctuary, no longer at risk of being targeted by bullets or other forms of harm.
Because they are not native to Africa and thus, cannot be released into the wild, the financial responsibility to provide for them is now shouldered by Wild at Life e.V.
A frequently underestimated part of conservation efforts is what happens after the immediate rescue of an animal. Feeding, caring for, and otherwise sustaining the animals in a sanctuary like Bela Bela is equally important and unfortunately not cheap.
so they can continue to have an enriched life with regular meals, please consider becoming an ongoing donor.
Thank you for your unwavering support!
No results found.
Help us increasing social commitment in saving endangered wild species. Express your support by sharing this article in your favorite social media channel.
Through our work, we have rescued many lions from some of the worst imaginable circumstances. Many of these majestic creatures were saved from canned hunting farms, where they were bred solely to be killed for sport. This cruel industry turns
📍Burkina Faso A few years ago, together with our partner, The Association for the Protection of Fauna and Flora, we had a distressing investigation at a zoo in Burkina Faso. The 112-hectare zoo was home to numerous endangered species, many
On August 12th, we celebrated World Elephant Day—a perfect opportunity to honor these incredible animals and think about how we can help them. Our sanctuary in Zambia is home to nine elephants who have survived poaching and drought, along with
📍Angola We’re excited to share that everything is going well at Mission Caita. Our team is working hard to rescue chimpanzees and other primates who have been affected by the illegal wildlife trade. We’re happy to report that the chimpanzees
This year, we focused on helping stray animals in Tunisia and Türkiye. In Tunisia, we ran a five-day feeding program and worked with locals to set up ongoing feeding and water stations. In Türkiye, we are facing a crisis due
As the disaster season re-emerges, we are once again faced with the devastating reality of wildfires in Türkiye. The situation has become critical, with two major wildfires erupting on the West Coast just a few days ago. Our volunteer teams
Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our activities!
Bank Account: Deutsche Skatbank
IBAN: DE12830654080004947703
BIC: GENO DEF1 SLR
Your donations are handled securely by Payrexx and PayPal
Made with love by Pictorial & supported by Syto International